ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• Scientists 'bend' elastic waves with new metamaterials that could have commercial applications
• Scientists set quantum speed limit
• New research re-creates planet formation, super-Earths and giant planets in the laboratory
• Rosetta Comet 'pouring' more water into space
• Exotic, gigantic molecules fit inside each other like Russian nesting dolls
• Black hole on a diet creates a 'changing look' quasar
• American liberals and conservatives think as if from different cultures
• Snack attack: Bears munch on ants and help plants grow
• Is cheating on the field worse than cheating on a spouse? Some fans think so
• NASA, Microsoft collaboration will allow scientists to 'work on Mars'
• Is glass a true solid? New research suggests it is
• New forensic entomology observations expand knowledge of decomposition ecology
• Fine motor skills for robotic hands
• Fossils survive volcanic eruption to tell us about the origin of the Canary Islands
• Self-powered intelligent keyboard could provide a new layer of security

Scientists 'bend' elastic waves with new metamaterials that could have commercial applications Posted: 22 Jan 2015 02:00 PM PST Sound waves passing through the air, objects that break a body of water and cause ripples, or shockwaves from earthquakes all are considered 'elastic' waves. These waves travel at the surface or through a material without causing any permanent changes to the substance's makeup. Now, engineering researchers have developed a material that has the ability to control these waves, creating possible medical, military and commercial applications with the potential to greatly benefit society.

Scientists set quantum speed limit Posted: 22 Jan 2015 12:48 PM PST The flip side of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, the energy time uncertainty principle, establishes a speed limit for transitions between two states. Physical chemists have now proved this principle for transitions between states that are not entirely distinct, allowing the calculation of speed limits for processes such as quantum computing and tunneling. The proof puts on sound footing a relationship that most physicists use daily.

New research re-creates planet formation, super-Earths and giant planets in the laboratory Posted: 22 Jan 2015 11:54 AM PST New laser-driven compression experiments reproduce the conditions deep inside exotic super-Earths and giant planet cores, and the conditions during the violent birth of Earth-like planets, documenting the material properties that determined planets' formation and evolution processes.

Rosetta Comet 'pouring' more water into space Posted: 22 Jan 2015 11:30 AM PST There has been a significant increase in the amount of water "pouring" out of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the comet on which the Rosetta mission's Philae lander touched down in November 2014. The 2.5-mile-wide (4-kilometer) comet was releasing the earthly equivalent of 40 ounces (1.2 liters) of water into space every second at the end of August 2014.

Exotic, gigantic molecules fit inside each other like Russian nesting dolls Posted: 22 Jan 2015 10:27 AM PST Scientists have experimentally observed for the first time a phenomenon in ultracold, three-atom molecules predicted by Russian theoretical physicist Vitaly Efimov in 1970.

Black hole on a diet creates a 'changing look' quasar Posted: 22 Jan 2015 08:45 AM PST Astronomers have identified the first 'changing look' quasar, a gleaming object in deep space that appears to have its own dimmer switch. The discovery may offer a glimpse into the life story of the universe's great beacons.

American liberals and conservatives think as if from different cultures Posted: 22 Jan 2015 08:44 AM PST American conservatives think more like Asians, and liberals are the extreme Westerners in thought styles, new research suggests. The so-called "culture war," the lead author said, is an accurate if dramatic way to state that there are clear cultural differences in the thought processes of liberals and conservatives.

Snack attack: Bears munch on ants and help plants grow Posted: 22 Jan 2015 07:26 AM PST Tiny ants may seem like an odd food source for black bears, but the protein-packed bugs are a major part of some bears' diets and a crucial part of the food web that not only affects other bugs, but plants too.

Is cheating on the field worse than cheating on a spouse? Some fans think so Posted: 22 Jan 2015 06:22 AM PST Why did fans and sponsors such as Nike drop Lance Armstrong but stay loyal to Tiger Woods? Probably because Armstrong's doping scandal took place on the field, unlike Wood's off-the-field extramarital affairs, according to new studies.

NASA, Microsoft collaboration will allow scientists to 'work on Mars' Posted: 22 Jan 2015 05:58 AM PST NASA and Microsoft have teamed up to develop software called OnSight, a new technology that will enable scientists to work virtually on Mars using wearable technology called Microsoft HoloLens.

Is glass a true solid? New research suggests it is Posted: 22 Jan 2015 05:48 AM PST Does glass ever stop flowing? Researchers have combined computer simulation and information theory, originally invented for telephone communication and cryptography, to answer this puzzling question.

New forensic entomology observations expand knowledge of decomposition ecology Posted: 22 Jan 2015 05:48 AM PST Insects that have not been previously associated with human corpses actually interact with dead human bodies, which may provide clues for forensic entomologists in the future, new research suggests.

Fine motor skills for robotic hands Posted: 22 Jan 2015 05:45 AM PST Tying shoelaces, stirring coffee, writing letters, playing the piano. From the usual daily routine to demanding activities: Our hands are used more frequently than any other body part. Through our highly developed fine motor skills, we are able to perform grasping movements with variable precision and power distribution. This ability is a fundamental characteristic of the hand of primates. Until now, it was unclear how hand movements are planned in the brain. Neuroscientists can now predict grip movements of the hand by measuring brain cell activity.

Fossils survive volcanic eruption to tell us about the origin of the Canary Islands Posted: 22 Jan 2015 05:45 AM PST The most recent eruption on the Canary Islands – at El Hierro in 2011 – produced spectacularly enigmatic white "floating rocks" that originated from the layers of oceanic sedimentary rock underneath the island. An international team of researchers used microscopic fossils found in the rocks to shed new light on the long-standing puzzle about the origin of the Canary Islands. Despite being violently transported through the volcano, some of the rocks produced by the El Hierro eruption contain microscopic fossils of delicate single-celled marine organisms, making the survival of these fossils all the more extraordinary.

Self-powered intelligent keyboard could provide a new layer of security Posted: 22 Jan 2015 05:35 AM PST By analyzing such parameters as the force applied by key presses and the time interval between them, a new self-powered non-mechanical intelligent keyboard could provide a stronger layer of security for computer users. The intelligent keyboard records each letter touched, but also captures information about the amount of force applied to the key and the length of time between one keystroke and the next. Such typing style is unique to individuals, and so could provide a new biometric for securing computers from unauthorized use.

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